Maryland's Wisp Resort

Rafting
Mountain coaster
Wall climbing

Ski resorts can not survive by offering only snow fun so many have added summertime activities but few resorts have embraced the multi-season concept so completely as Wisp Resort in Maryland.

Wisp is located in the westernmost county of Maryland on top of Marsh Mountain overlooking Deep Creek Lake, the largest inland lake in Maryland. It is just south of the town named Accident.

The place is an amazing one-stop destination with something for everyone in the family to do in every season. There are 132 acres of skiable terrain, a championship golf course, the Sewickley Spa, and the Adventure Sports Center.

John and I had a hard time deciding what to do first. We love river rafting and have done so in many places but nothing compares to rafting at the Adventure Sports Center (ASCI). All the things I found most daunting about river rafting have been eliminated. They have created a whitewater course that is accessed from the pond by an automatic ramp – no more carrying the awkward raft down a gravely path to the river. ASCI has eliminated all the typical river hazards such as downed trees and undercut rocks that are places for foot entrapment but left the thrills. They offer rafting from Class 1 to 4. The course is also used for kayaking. They have traditional kayaking and also one-person inflatable kayaks called duckies.

We had lunch at the top of the mountain and returned to the main part of the resort. The chair lift was an excellent way to get an overview of the resort. On the way down we had an excellent view of the resort and lake. It was panoramic and the 25-minute trip giving us plenty of time to enjoy the scenery.

John and I decided to give the mountain coaster a try. I was a bit nervous because I could hear the screams of the passengers while we were on the chair lift. "You are in complete control. Just use the brake. You can go as slow as you want," explained the attendant. At the top John just took off and was gone. I however inched my way along. In the curve I felt like I was going to fall out and was thankful for the seatbelt. Then I realized that going real slow meant I did not have centrifugal force working in my favor in the curves so I went faster, then faster. When it was over I was ready to go again once I learned a few little tricks to make the trip more fun. But John was eyeing the climbing wall.

Typical of all ASCI "adventures," wall climbing includes all the thrills and skills but with excellent safety measures. When John reached the top on the first try the attendant said, "You can climb down or just push off and the pulley will let you down slowly." John was surprised at how much trust it took to push off, but push off he did, and the lowering mechanism worked perfectly as it slowly lowered him to the ground.

Once again we learned that no matter where we go there are great adventures waiting to be experienced. For the more adventurous there is mountain biking, fishing, disc golf, mountain boarding, and hiking. Before we headed home we took one more ride on the chair lift for one last look at the beautiful scenery.